Innsbruck, which hosts three Group D games, is the capital of Austria's Tyrol region, more commonly known for its winter sports and twice a host of the Winter Olympics. Home of recently relegated Wacker Innsbruck, the Tivoli Stadium was built in 2000 with Euro 2008 in mind and has been expanded to comply with the minimum 30,000 capacity requirements. Tafelspitz (braised beef with horseradish) and Jaeger-Pfandl (game stew) are local delicacies worth trying, while the Bogen area draws a young and lively crowd to its bars, clubs and beer gardens.

Idyllic Klagenfurt is the smallest of the eight host cities. A popular holiday destination, Klagenfurt swells considerably during the summer thanks to its warm climate and the beauty of Lake Worthersee. The city is also known for its culinary delights, due to its proximity to Italy, including kasnudeln (pasta dough stuffed with spiced cheese), ritschert (a stew with lentils, beans and smoked pork) and saure suppe (a soup made from meat, herbs and sour cream -- flavored with saffron and aniseed). The newly-built Hypo-Arena, home of Austria Karnten, will stage three Group B matches including the eagerly-awaited showdown between Germany and Croatia on June 12.

Close to Austria's border with Germany and the country's fourth largest city, Salzburg will host defending champions Greece for their Group D matches. Built in 2003, the EM Stadion is the home of Red Bull Salzburg and boasts a revolutionary artificial surface called Ligaturf. Known worldwide for its spectacular Alpine scenery, Salzburg was the setting for "The Sound of Music" and is the home city of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The musical genius' influence still shapes the city, not least in the form of mozartkugels, the city's iconic handmade chocolates balls named in honor of Salzburg's favorite son.

Austria's elegant capital lies in the east of the country close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The Ernst Happel is recognized by UEFA as one of the continent's top stadiums and has hosted four European Cup finals, the last in 1995 when Ajax defeated AC Milan. More regularly, it is used by the national side, for European matches involving Rapid Vienna and Austria Vienna, and sometimes for derbies between the two clubs. It hosts all Austria's group B matches, three knockout matches and the final on June 29. Vienna is well known for Wiener schnitzel, a cutlet of veal that is pounded flat, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter.

Geneva is the epitome of Swiss neutrality with non-nationals making up almost half of the population, thanks to the presence of organizations such as the Red Cross and the United Nations. Jutting out from Lake Geneva into France, its culture, language and cuisine is firmly rooted in Gallic influence. Nonetheless most of the locals will be cheering for the Swiss come June with Geneva-born favorites Philippe Senderos and Julian Esteban expected to make their mark. Local side Servette, whose stadium will host three Group A matches, are one of Switzerland's most successful clubs, though they have fallen on hard times since bankruptcy and enforced relegation in 2005.

Switzerland kick off the tournament in Basel on June 7 against the Czech Republic and if the co-hosts are successful in their group games and the knockout stages, St. Jakob-Park could be there home all the way through to the semifinals. Locals are used to cheering sporting success in June; Basel-born world tennis No. 1 Roger Federer has won Wimbledon for the last five years. Set on the river Rhine, this attractive old city close to both France and Germany has long been a hub of industry. It is also home to the influential Art Basel contemporary art fair.

The compact Letzigrund has been completely rebuilt for Euro 2008 and will host three matches in Group C, though in recent years it has been more synonymous with athletics as a host venue in the lucrative Golden League series. It is also home to FC Zurich and, temporarily while their own stadium is renovated, Grasshoppers. Citizens of Switzerland's largest city -- who include the country's famous financiers -- are reputed to enjoy the highest standard of living anywhere in the world. Zurich is also the headquarters of world football's governing body, FIFA, and the home of the annual Street Parade -- the world's largest outdoor rave.

The Wankdorf was the venue for one of the most famous World Cup matches in history: the 1954 final in which West Germany overcame the mighty Hungarian side of Ferenc Puskas 3-2, having lost to the same opponents 8-3 earlier in the tournament. The old stadium was demolished in 2001 to make way for the current venue, home to the Young Boys club, which will host the three Group C games involving the Netherlands. Switzerland's pocket-sized capital is rich in culture, museums and galleries with a beautifully preserved old town. The city was also home to Albert Einstein when he struck on the theory of relativity.